Cecilia Bartolii , David Kuebler and Gino Quilico are featured in this outstanding interpretation of Rossini's opera. Gabriele Ferro conducts the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra.

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The staging by Michael Hampe, sets by Ezio Frigerio and costumes by Mauro Pagano are traditional and do not get in the way of a straightforward presentation of Rossini's still-funny farce.

David Kuebler's Almaviva is beautifully sung and his comic acting as the drunken soldier in Act I and as the false Don Alonso in Act II is expertly done. The lecherous but clueless Don Bartolo is sung and acted by the veteran Carlos Feller. His downfall in the finale is done with grace and good humor, unlike some Bartolos who huff and puff rather too much about it all. Don Basilio is taken by the wonderful Robert Lloyd whose cavernous black bass is perfect for 'La Calunnia' which is both sinister and funny. He has a comic bit that he does with making the sign of the cross that has the audience in stitches.

Gino Quilico deserves especial praise for his scheming charmer, the barber Figaro. Not only is his singing wonderful, his comic acting is spot on. I laughed out loud several times--as when he is shaving Don Bartolo in the second act.

This production follows hard on the heels of the wonderful Arthaus/Naxos DVD of the 1990 Schwetzingen production of Britten's 'The Turn of the Screw.' If these two productions are any indication of the level of artistry at Schwetzingen, one can certainly hope that we'll be getting more of these productions on DVD.

Recommended.

Scott Morrison

39 of 41 found the following review helpful:

A Joyous, Wonderful BarberMay 25, 2006
By Bill Blaise
I hate to sound arrogant myself by saying this, but I think you should ignore the arrogant comments of the previous reviewer. If this production is "pretty disappointing," then I'm Kirsten Flagstad. The previous reviewer's comments are a perfect illustration of why opera fans have the reputation of being the most staid, humorless fault-finders around: for being almost impossible to please. I agree that one can always quibble about a few things in any production. In this case, yes, Carlos Feller's performance is not flawless: his enunciation does slip a bit in "A un dottor." But he makes the number so enjoyable overall, overall he is so terrifically pompous and irascible, and he sings with such gusto (for an old man, I think his voice is deep and strong, hardly "hollow") that to call him the "horror" of the whole production is, in my opinion, puzzlingly spiteful. And the same goes for any major criticism of the rest of the cast.

In fact, I think this is one of the better casts I've seen in this opera. David Kuebler is a hilarious and wildly determined Count (his turn as the drunken soldier looking for lodgings is a riot); I don't see how anyone in their right mind could consider him a "dull, stern presence" and "charmless." True, it's fair to say that Bartoli has gone on to do even better work than she does here, but, after all, this "Barber" was filmed in 1988, early in her career, and one can at least see why her career took off after this. Her Rosina is spirited and absolutely irresistible, her voice is beautiful, and her big coloratura number ("Una voce poco fa") pretty spectacular. Gino Quilco is a great Figaro, very funny, sharp, and energetic, with an excellent rendition of "Largo al factotum." Also deserving praise is Robert Lloyd's wryly sinister Don Basilio. Lloyd earns the loudest applause in the whole performance, including many shouts of "Bravo," for a terrific "La calunnia."

And who could forget the conductor Gabriele Ferro, leaing the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart down in the pit. Just watching him conduct the overture is almost worth the price of the DVD. Talk about chewing the scenery! His intensity and wild shaking and gesturing (reminding one of a Middle American snake-handler feeling the spirit) will leave your jaw hanging open and may make you laugh more than anything in the opera. Ferro is so caught up in the music that his beat doesn't seem the most precise and his cues to the orchestra members don't look all that helpful, but you can't call him dull. Even if you can imagine why his career hasn't exactly skyrocketed, you have to like him here.

All in all, this is the best of the five versions of "The Barber of Seville" that I've seen on DVD. Any review that does not recommend this production ought to be dismissed. I just grabbed my copy of classical-music connoisseur Phil Goulding's book "Ticket to the Opera," and I was looking to see which video version of "Barber" Goulding recommends. Can you guess? This one.

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

A Must Own Five Star 'Barber'Aug 28, 2007
By Oneiroi
'The Barber of Seville' - fast, fun, and, at times, frenetic, is well deserving of its title as the greatest opera buffa ever composed. When I was searching for a DVD of my favorite opera, there were quite a few choices available; this was the one I picked, despite being familiar with only one of the performers, Bartoli. I wasn't disappointed. This is a great `Barber,' that captures the energy and humor of both the story and score. When it comes to the `Barber,' I prefer a traditional staging, rather than a modernized, contemporary, conceptual, or experimental avant-garde one. This is a traditional production and proves the adage of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The costumes, although neutral, (greys, black, and beige), are perfect; especially Figaro's "Spanish dandy" attire, complete with snood, as described in the original Beaumarchais play notes. Kudos to referencing the original source material. It almost seems as if the neutral tones of the costumes and sets was a deliberate decision, in order to allow the performers and music to provide the real color, which is abundant and full of infectious verve.

There is a lot of movement in this production, which compliments the score, and the cast is nimble, making extensive use of numerous props, but without any of the actions feeling forced or unnatural, nor distracting attention away from the vocals, which are excellent. A perfect example is when Figaro, while chatting with Rosina, warms a `curling iron' over the flame of a candle, prior to dressing her hair. The performers, especially the trio of attractive, youthful (looking) leads, act, rather than remain static, as they sing or deliver their recitatives; the cast has a well established rhythm and seem to be truly enjoying themselves, making it all the more enjoyable for the viewer.

Bartoli gives us a charming Rosina, displaying the character's winsomeness, coyness, slyness, and determination. Her "Contro un cor," aria, in the second act, is simply lovely. Quilico is a solid Figaro and really embodies the crafty, titular character, although, on a few occasions, overplays a bit, yet when "playing it straight," so to speak, he's great to watch. Kuebler, as Almaviva, is wonderful, expertly conveying the Count's lovesick nature (and the hilarious lengths he'll go to to win his Rosina). His "Ecco ridente," is delivered in a bright, ringing tenor, and his acting skills, as well as comedic timing, are superb. He's almost chameleonic, so different is his body language and timber of voice in the beginning of the second act, as the fidgety Don Alonso, (a nice contrast to the `drunk' soldier at the end of act one, also wonderfully played). Feller's Bartolo is not presented as a buffoon; he's ever watchful and suspicious and, quibbles aside on the "A un dottor" aria, he makes a fine antagonist.

A previous reviewer commented on the smallness of the venue; this works quite well, actually. There is a more intimate feel and the smaller stage increases the sense of claustrophobia, making us more sympathetic to Rosina's plight, and convinces us of the difficulty the two lovers encounter when attempting to engage in a tête à tête or steal a kiss, helping the viewer to become emotionally invested in their affaire de coeur.

Apart from occasional moments when it's difficult to hear the performers on one side of the stage (either due to miccing or mixing issues) and a few errors in the subtitles (act one for instance; Almaviva's "avanti, avanti," - "retire, retire" to the musicians is translated incorrectly, making Kuebler's dismissive wave seem out of place) this is a must have performance DVD. For me, it has more than paid for itself through innumerable viewings; I never grow tired of it. My only regrets are that it is not presented in widescreen format and that no audio CD is available. If you're looking for a fun, traditional version, with laugh out loud moments, or if you're just beginning to explore the world of opera, this is the 'Barber' to add to your collection.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Bartoli in "Il Barbiere"Jul 29, 2008
By Jeff M. Marsh "Jeff M. Marsh"
This Barber stars Cecilia Bartoli as Rosina, Robert Lloyd as Basilio, Carlos Feller as Bartolo, David Kuebler as Almaviva, with Gabriele Ferro conducting. I really enjoyed it, but would caution some of the purists that it contains some minor cuts, such as at the end of the opera, they've dropped the scene where Bartolo wishes Rosia and the Count happiness, and also, Fiorello's recitativo prior to "Una Voce Poco Fa" is dropped. I really like s Carlos Feller as Bartolo; he reminds me a bit of Fernando Corena on the RCA CD set from 1958 conducted by Leinsdorf. In this DVD, Feller's character is funny and clueless, especially in the scene where Figaro shaves him and he catches on to the trick being played on him. Gabriele Ferro did nery wellwith this one; I've got his on CDs of "La Cenerentola" and "L'Italiana in Algeri. Bartoli was very young when this recording was made, but is right on the button with the role. You'll love it.

37 of 50 found the following review helpful:

Interesting moments, but not a reference videoDec 31, 2004
By Ivy Lin
This Barbiere di Siviglia was filmed in 1988 in Cologne. The raison d'etre for this performance is of course Cecilia Bartoli's Rosina. David Kuebler, Gino Quilico, Carlos Feller, and Robert Lloyd also star. I think this Barber has some interesting features but isn't in any way a reference video. The theater seems to be absolutely pint-sized, which is fine. Strangely though, the production is rather austere, serious, spartan, and remote. Clowning is kept to a minimum, and Rosina is locked up with what look like prison bars. The edition has the usual stage cuts, including Almaviva's Act II aria "Cessa ...".

David Kuebler doesnt have a bad voice, but with a long craggly face and a stern dull stage presence this Almaviva is pretty charmless. (I've seen Juan Diego Florez and needless to say Kuebler is nowhere near Florez's league.) Kuebler is also so mature looking that the Figaro, Gino Quilico, looks considerably younger and studlier than the Almaviva. In fact, there's more sexual tension between Figaro and Rosina than Rosina and Almaviva. Quilico is an unexpected bright spot in this video. The horror is Carlos Feller (Bartolo), who butchers "A un dottor." He acts well enough (alternately lachrymose and pathetic) but his voice is so hollow, especially in the lower ranges, that at some points he seems to just drop out of singing altogether. He also needed to practice the fast patter more, as somewhere in the middle of "A un dottor" he seems to forget what the words are supposed to be, and decides to sing a weird combo of "blahblahughugh" gibberish.

As for Bartoli, I dont think that in 1988 her voice was fully formed. There are a lot of plusses to her performance -- her voice is of course very rich and warm, almost contralto-like. Her pointed phrasing and diction is a joy to hear, and her arias are creatively and musically ornamented. And she already has a very earthy, intense stage presence which is fun to watch. (She also has her trademark curly long hair.) But strangely she seems to have some major register breaks. Her voice is rich and resonant in the lower ranges and secure and bright above the staff, but in between she occasionally becomes pretty inaudible. Her scales are riddled with so many aspirates that it becomes distracting ("Si, Lindo-ho-ho-ho-ro"). But while Bartoli's Rosina shows a lot of "promise" I've heard much better, more mature work from her in later years.

Overall a pretty disappointing dvd. It has some interesting moments but unlike some recent opera dvd releases (the wonderful Glyndebourne Nozze di Figaro from 1973, a Lucie di Lammermoor from Lyon) it didn't satisfy my wishes for an all-around good cast and good production.

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